For His Daughter

Kozaf was amazed as he stood inside the room. A magical blue glow from the walls lit the room, and scattered all over the room were rods, rings, staff, and small mounds of gold.

After taking a few minutes to look around, Kozaf found one item that grabbed his attention. It was a small red colored rod that sat in corner opposite of where he was standing. Kozaf slowly walked over towards the rob, then heard loud footsteps coming from behind him.

He quickly turned around, seeing Shadimir charging straight at him. Kozaf thrusted his halberd forward, the blade at the very top of the weapon, ready to pierce through Shadimir's gut.

The undead hunter stepped out of the way of Kozaf's halberd, then drove the mace in his left hand across Kozaf's face. The hunter's mace crashed hard into Kozaf's jaw.

"That was for trying to plunder this tomb," Shadimir said coldly, then he stabbed his bastard sword forward at Kozaf's knee.

The bearded man blocked Shadimir's sword with his halberd. He then countered the hunter's attack, swinging his halberd in an upper arc. The halberd's axeblade slashed across the hunter's face, then Kozaf turned around to attempt to trip Shadimir with the top blade of his halberd.

Shadimir stepped back, evading Kozaf's trip attempt. The hunter slashed Gabriel in a lower diagonal cut across the bearded man's chest. "That was for chaining up my friend!" he yelled, then followed up his attack with a swing of his left hand, driving his mace once again into Kozaf's face.

The pain and swelling in Kozaf's jaw distracted the bearded man, causing him to drop his halberd.

Shadimir took this chance and thrusted Gabriel deeply into Kozaf's chest. Killing out of anger or revenge was not something Shadimir liked to do, but he wanted to make sure Kozaf would never plunder a tomb again.

Kozaf coughed a little blood before Shadimir pulled Gabriel out of his body. Then, Kozaf, the leader of his band of tomb robbers died as his body slumped to the floor.

Shadimir stood over Kozaf's dead body. "That was for kidnapping my daughter," he said coldly as he began to walk away. He stopped for a moment, looking at the treasures scattered around the tomb.

"Do you see something you like?" asked a hallow voice from behind Shadimir.

Shadimir turned around, and his eyes saw a ghost that resembled a beautiful elf woman. She appeared to be wearing a feather in her hair and floated towards him.

"Are you Greywolf?" Shadimir asked softly.

The ghost nodded and asked," Who might you be?"

"I was just on my way out actually," Shadimir answered, turning around.

"Thank you for killing that man," the ghost said softly," I didn't want to have to kill him. I don't like to kill."

Shadimir nodded at the ghost, and looked down at Kozaf's dead body. "Neither do I."

Shadimir, Deidra, and the Simbul were now standing on the steps outside of the tomb. The birds were chirping softly, and the gentle creatures of the High Forest watched the two humans and the halfling curiously.

"So Dalla and Jepetto were safe the whole time?" Deidra asked the Witch Queen curiously. The Simbul nodded, watching a small humming bird fly into one of the trees.

"One thing still bothers me," Shadimir asked," If the Jepetto they captured was just a rock, then how was it able to walk when we traveled here?"

The Simbul laughed," It was a just a simple animate object spell Shadimir," she placed a kiss on his cheek. "Perhaps if you listened to my sister, you might be able to work one yourself someday." She then turned to Deidra.

Deidra blushed as the Simbul gently planted a kiss on her cheek, then asked," What I wonder is, where did Alustriel hide the real Dalla and Jepetto?"

Dalla and Stephanie were sleeping in the large bed in Shadimir and Stephanie's room. Jepetto had brought Dalla home after they had spent the last evening hiding in Mithral Hall together. With Dalla disguised as a dwarven cleric of Moradin named Roodrot. The priests were at first offended when she hadn't talked to them, but Jepetto explained that his "dwarven" friend had taken a vow of silence to Moradin.

Shadimir stood by the bedroom door as they watched Stephanie and Dalla sleep. "I almost lost this," Shadimir whispered softly," I don't even know if I could go through something like that again?
"Its the risks all adventurers take when they go out into the world, earning reputations and making enemies," The Simbul said softly as she stood behind Shadimir. "But in our times of need, we must look to our loved ones to give us the strength to endure situations like these."

Shadmir nodded, thinking of Deidra, who was probably at home, helping Aliyah recuperate from the poison and the loss of her eye. He would go over there later and treat Deidra and Aliyah to some eel pie at the Stagstead.

The Simbul smiled then shifted into a small fly. She buzzed a few circles around Shadimir's head, then flew away

Shadimir turned back to look at Stephanie and Dalla. Soon there would be another addition to his family, and he couldn't wait.

"Maybe I'll have Jepetto, Drizzt, or even Alustriel help build me a nursery," he said with a laugh in his voice as he walked over to his window.

Shadimir stared out into the city of Silverymoon, wondering what the future would bring him...

For Faith

Don't Give Up